Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri C R Patil launches Jal Seva Aankalan to assess drinking water services.
Credit: X/@PIBodisha
New Delhi: Union Minister of Jal Shakti C R Patil on Tuesday launched Jal Seva Aankalan, a Gram Panchayat-led digital drinking water service functionality assessment tool on the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) portal.
"The initiative marks a decisive shift from infrastructure creation to sustained service delivery, placing Gram Panchayats and village institutions at the centre of assessing the regularity, adequacy, quality and sustainability of drinking water supply in Har Ghar Jal (HGJ) villages," the Ministry said in a statement.
With a large number of Gram Panchayats having achieved Har Ghar Jal status, Jal Jeevan Mission has entered a new phase where the emphasis is on ensuring that tap connections translate into reliable and safe drinking water services on a daily basis.
Jal Seva Aankalan has been conceptualised as a community-owned self-assessment, enabling villages to collectively reflect on their water service delivery systems rather than relying solely on infrequent and costly third-party surveys.
The event was attended by Ministers of State for Jal Shakti, V Somanna and Raj Bhushan Choudhary, along with senior officials of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, representatives from states and institutions, Panchayat Secretaries, Sarpanches and Village Water and Sanitation Committee members.
Around 10,000 representatives of Har Ghar Jal Gram Panchayats from across States/UTs participated virtually in the programme.
Addressing the gathering, Patil emphasised that Jal Jeevan Mission is not only about creating assets, but about delivering dependable drinking water services to every rural household on a sustained basis.
He outlined the four key pillars of the Mission — Political Will, People’s Participation, Stakeholder Collaboration, and Optimal Resource Use, and underscored that Jan Bhagidari is the most crucial pillar for ensuring the long-term sustainability of Har Ghar Jal achievements.
The Jal Seva Aankalan empowers Gram Panchayats to become custodians of their own water supply systems and strengthens democratic decision-making through Gram Sabhas, he said.
Minister of State for Jal Shakti V Somanna while addressing highlighted the importance of Jan Bhagidari in sustaining Har Ghar Jal achievements and driving the transformation of villages.
Somanna noted that Jal Seva Aankalan reflects the Government’s trust in local institutions and will further strengthen village-level governance of drinking water services.